Wrap-around garment cover bag for luggage

ABSTRACT

A wrap-around removable type of garment or article cover bag made of flexible material designed to fit or wrap around the exterior of a carrying rigid portable case and held in position by attached straps or other fastening means. The wrap-around bag or cover includes pockets to provide extra holding space for personal articles and will retain bulkier clothing between the cover bag and the carrying case.

United States Patent [1 1 Ekeson 1 1 WRAP-AROUND GARMENT COVER BAG FOR LUGGAGE [75] Inventor: Alfred G. Ekeson, Fairfield, NJ.

[73] Assignee: Charles F. Winchell, Scituate, R.l.

[22] Filed: Nov. 18, 1970 [21] Applr No.: 90,545

Related [1.8. Application Data [63] Continuation-impart of Ser. No. 3,780, Jan. 19,

52 us. c1. ..150/52 E, 150/52 R, 190/52 51 1m. (:1. ..B65d 65/02 [58] Field of Search ..150/52 E, 52 R, 28 A;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1967 Veilleux 150/52 1451 Apr. 24,1973

796 286 8/1905 Bottese ..190/26 2,617,504 11/1952 Meyers.... ..190/26 2,674,288 4/1954 Laidlaw ..150/52 R X 1,522,479 l/1925 Aldrich 150/52 R 2,71 1,234 6/1955 Rubens 190/26 Primary Examiner- Samuel B. Rothberg Assistant Examiner-Stephen P. Garbe Alt0rr1eyl-loward T. Jeandron ABSTRACT A wrap-around removable type of garment or article cover bag made of flexible material designed to fit or wrap around the exterior of a carrying rigid portable case and held in position by attached straps or other fastening means. The wrap-around bag or cover includes pockets to provide extra holding space for personal articles and will retain bulkier clothing'between the cover bag and the carrying case.

6 Claims, 12 Drawing Figures Patented April 24, 1973 I 3,729,038

2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. Az wsv 5. 5x550 nY/MW.'

AGE/

Patented April 24, 1973 Y 3,729,038

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. ALFRED E. EKE5UN WRAP-AROUND GARMENT COVER BAG FOR LUGGAGE This application is a continuation in part of my application Ser. No. 3,780 flled Jan. 19,1970.

This invention relates to luggage and more particularly to an auxiliary wrap-around garment cover bag for luggage that provides additional pockets to hold personal effects.

The prior art illustrates luggage that is provided with external pockets as part of the bag and also illustrates bags, pocketbooks and saddle bags that are loosely thrown over the suitcase or business bag.

It is an object of this invention to provide a flexible wrap-around garment cover bag for luggage that is easily and quickly attached to the luggage and is carried as an integral unit with a single handle.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a single sheetlike wrapper of flexible material to be wrapped around a single piece of luggage and retain additional personal articles and clothing between the wrapper and the luggage.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a single sheetlike wrapper of flexible material to be wrapped around a single piece ofluggage and retain additional personal articles and clothing in separate external and/or internal pockets in said wrapper.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wraparound garment cover bag for luggage that is tailored to a particular bag.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wraparound cover bag for luggage that is tailored to a particular business portfolio and in which the garment cover bag is designed to hold personal travelling effects and the garment cover bag is quickly and easily removed to separate personal effects from business papers and material.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wraparound garment cover bag for luggage that holds personal travelling effects and becomes an integral piece of luggage during travel but is quickly and easily unwrapped and hung up for overnight accommodation.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a wrap-around garment cover bag for luggage that is tailored to a particular business portfolio and in which the cover bag is designed to hold personal travelling effects and particular personal items such as a cosmetic kit and is reinforced to protect fragile elements.

Another object of this invention is to provide a wraparound garment cover bag for luggage that is constructed of a stretchable material and the side edges are gathered and reinforced with an elastic element to retain said cover bag in a tight fitting relationship.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a flexible wrap-around garment cover bag for luggage in which a portion of said cover bag is stretchable to adjust to different size luggage.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wrap-around garment cover bag for luggage in which the cover bag is attached by means of snap fasteners so that one end of said cover bag is affixed to the hinged cover of the luggage to permit opening said luggage without removing said cover bag.

A still further object of this invention is to provide a single sheet wrap-around garment cover bag for luggage in which each end of said wrap-around sheet is provided with a handle so that said cover bag may be released from said luggage and carried as a separate bag.

Other objects of this invention shall be apparent by reference to the accompanying detailed description and the drawings in which FIG. 1 is a plan view of a wrap-around garment cover bag,

FIG. 2 is a side view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1,

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a piece of luggage with a wrap-around garment cover bag,

FIG. 4 is an end view of the cover shown in FIG. 2 as mounted,

FIG. 5 is an end view of a further embodiment of the wrap-around garment cover bag,

FIG. 6 is a plan view of a further embodiment similar to FIG. 4,

FIG. 7 is a side view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6,

FIG. 8 is an end view of a still further embodiment of the wrap-around garment cover bag,

FIG. 9 is a perspective view with the garment cover bag reversed to place its pockets on the inside,

FIG. 10 is an end view of a further embodiment showing an elastic bottom portion of the wrap-around garment cover bag,

FIG. 11 is an end view of a further embodiment showing a different fastening means, and

FIG. 12 is an end view ofa further embodiment.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 4 there is illustrated the garment cover bag It) in the form of a flat flexible sheet of material. The material may vary, that is, it may be a plastic sheet, a cloth sheet or a composition fiber sheet. Sheet 10 is designed of a width to fit a particular bag or bags and of course may be varied in its manufacture to particular bags and sheet 10 is of a length to fit and be tailored to a particular bag as illustrated in FIG. 3. Sheet 10 is provided with an elongated aperture 11 at either end of the sheet so that when sheet 10 is wrapped around a bag such as an attache bag 12 shown in FIG. 3, the apertures Ill permit the handle 14 of bag 12 to protrude through the aperatures 11. Thus one end 15 of sheet 10 will be overlapped by the other end 16 and handle 14 will retain the sheets in this lapped position. HOwever snap fasteners 17 may be mounted between the overlapped ends of the sheets to permit a positive fastening of the ends of the sheets as illustrated in FIG. 3. Sheet 10 is also provided with a plurality of pockets 20, that is, the pockets are formed to be positioned on either side of the bag 12 as illustrated. The pockets may be single pockets or either pocket may be divided at its center to form a double pocket. Additionally pockets 20 may be provided with a foldable closure top 21 and top 21 may include a snap fastener 22 or other fastening means. It is to be noted that sheet 10 is generally mounted on a case such as 12 as illustrated in FIG. 3 with the pockets protruding externally and easily accessible. However as illustrated in FIG. 9, sheet 10 may be wrapped around case 12 with the pockets 20 on the internal surface and thus protected and not easily accessible for opening. It is also to be noted that the particular case 12 illustrated is provided with a raised bottom of the case mounted on four corner supports. Thus when sheet 10 is wrapped around case 12, sheet 10 cannot slip off either end of the case when tightly wrapped about the case. In this embodiment sheet may be of various materials. When the sheet and pockets are of plastic of a type that may be heat sealed, the attachment is simply a heat sealing process. When the sheet is of a rubbery stretchable material, the pockets may be vulcanized in their position and when the sheet is of a cloth or textile material, the pockets may be stitched in the position as illustrated.

Referring to FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 there is illustrated a further embodiment of this invention in which sheet 10A differs from the prior embodiment. Sheet 10A is provided with an elongated aperture 11A at the center of the sheet and sheet 10A is provided with pockets 20A similar to the previous embodiment except that the pockets open in the opposite direction, that is, the top of pockets 20A face toward the elongated aperture 11A. Sheet 10A is also provided with a pair of handles 24, one at each end of the sheet. The ends of the handles are mounted to the sheet 10 by insertion through a pair of cover portions 25 so that the handles may be pushed inward to a retracted position when not in use and may be pulled out to an extended position when utilizek as handles. Of course the ends of handles 24 are enlarged so that they cannot be pulled out of their supporting tubes. The joining of the pockets and the tubular elements to sheet 10A will vary. When the sheet 10A is of a plastic, they may be heat sealed. When sheet 10A is of a rubbery material, the elements may be vulcanized. When sheet 10A is of a cloth or textile material, the elements may be stitched in the position as illustrated. Referring to FIG. 5, sheet 10A is illustrated as mounted about a bag 12 as in the previous em bodiment. However it is to be noted that the overlapping of the ends of the sheet 10A is now at the bottom of the bag and a plurality of snap fasteners 22 may be provided to insure a positive attachment. Due to the fact that the bag bottom is raised, the overlapped sheet does not interfer with the normal setting of the bag at rest as illustrated in FIG. 5.

Referring to FIG. 8 there is illustrated a still further embodiment of this invention in which a sheet 108 that is somewhat similar to sheet 10 of FIG. 1 is utilized. This is a specialized form in which it is desirable to be able to not only open the external pockets 20, but also to be able to open the bag 12 without removing the external wrapper cover 10B. Thus sheet 108 is wrapped around bag 12 in the same fashion as illustrated in FIG. 1 but the ends 158 and 16B are provided with snap fasteners so that end B may snap to the upper or cover portion 21 while end 168 may snap to the lower main portion 22 of bag 12. To insure a positive fit, additional snap fasteners may be provided at other points such as the bottom of the bag or the sides as desired to provide a tight tailored fit for the cover sheet. It is apparent that the cover sheet 108 is easily wrapped around and snapped in position and as easily unsnapped and removed when desired but in this embodiment both the interior of the bag and the interior of the external pockets are always accessible.

Referring to FIG. 10 there is a still further embodiment of this invention in which a sheet 10C of similar proportions to the previous embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1 may vary from the embodiment of FIG. 1 due to the central portion of the sheet being of a stretchable material such as rubber so that the sheet 10C may be fitted to a single bag or to a plurality of bags, thus varying the wrap-around width and all other features of attachment remain similar to the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 11 there is illustrated an additional form of surrounding strap 25 that may be attached at any convenient point or passed through apertures in sheet 10 or 10A or 1013 so that the strap when pulled and buckled by its attaching buckle 26 will provide a positive holding means for the sheet when the sheet is of a very flexible material and needs the additional positive attachment to the bag 12.

Referring to FIG. 12 there is illustrated a similar cover bag 10D formed generally of a flexible slightly stretchable material with a positive retaining means for both edges of the sheet 10D. That is, sewn into or mounted within both side edges of sheet 10D, there is an elastic means either in the form of an elastic or a spring so that the edges of the sheet may be pulled tightly about the bag and snapped by means of fasteners into this tightly secured position. Thus any contents between the sheet and the bag 12 will be securely retained and cannot be lost. Although snap fasteners have been illustrated, straps or other securing means may also be utilized.

Although we have shown a particular configuration of the cover sheet, the configuration may change according to the single bag or plurality of bags that it is intended to be used with and although we have shown a plurality of particular types of pockets, the number of pockets or the position of the pockets may vary and although we have shown means to retain the cover sheet to the luggage, retaining straps or other attaching means may be similarly used, and abutting means may be provided to retain an object or objects securely wrapped within the sheet without departing from the spirit of this invention. And, although we have shown a cover sheet that may be mounted about a single bag or a plurality of bags, the cover sheet may of course be tailored to any particular bag or bags and the cover sheet may be decorated or marked to match and resemble the bag or bags with which it is to be used without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The invention described in detail in the foregoing specification is subject to changes and modifications without departing from the principle and spirit thereof. The terminology used is for purposes of description and not of limitation; the scope of the invention being defined in the claims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination of an attache bag and a wraparound cover bag in which the attache bag is easily separable from the wrap-around cover bag, said attache" bag having a handle for carrying, said wraparound cover bag being comprised of a single piece of material that is flexible to fit snugly about said attache" bag and large enough to wrap completely around said attache" bag and provided with apertures at each end of said wrap-around cover, said apertures large enough to fit over said handle of said attache bag and hold said cover in close hanging juxtaposition with said bag, said wrap-around cover provided with a plurality of pockets for storing and carrying miscellaneous articles.

wrap-around cover may be provided with pockets on both the inside and outside of said cover.

5. In a device according to claim 1 in which said wrap-around cover apertures on either side may be used as the means of hanging said cover when removed from said attache bag.

6. In a device according to claim l in which said wrap-around cover is a sheet of rubber that is stretchable to provide a form fit around said attache bag. 

1. The combination of an ''''attache'''' bag and a wrap-around cover bag in which the attache bag is easily separable from the wraparound cover bag, said ''''attache'''' bag having a handle for carrying, said wrap-around cover bag being comprised of a single piece of material that is flexible to fit snugly about said ''''attache'''' bag and large enough to wrap completely around said ''''attache'''' bag and provided with apertures at each end of said wrap-around cover, said apertures large enough to fit over said handle of said ''''attache'''' bag and hold said cover in close hanging juxtaposition with said bag, said wrap-around cover provided with a plurality of pockets for storing and carrying miscellaneous articles.
 2. In a device according to claim 1 in which said wrap-around cover is stretchable and shapable into a form to fit said ''''attache'''' bag.
 3. In a device according to claim 1 in which said wrap-around cover is a clear plastic flexible sheet of predetermined contour to permit fitting to said ''''attache'''' bag and permit identifying articles retained in the pockets of said cover bag and provide a protection to said bag and contents against moisture from the outside.
 4. In a device according to claim 1 in which said wrap-around cover may be provided with pockets on both the inside and outside of said cover.
 5. In a device according to claim 1 in which said wrap-around cover apertures on either side may be used as the means of hanging said cover when removed from said ''''attache'''' bag.
 6. In a device according to claim 1 in which said wrap-around cover is a sheet of rubber that is stretchable to provide a form fit around said ''''attache'''' bag. 